Reflections May Lie
by Rako
Summary: Duo finds out Wufei's most dearly-kept secret. Please read and review!
1. Default Chapter

Reflections May Lie ** (Authors' note: Whether or not I continue this story depends on you the  
readers (where have I heard/read this before?). I really am not  
satisified with the ending, and wanted to turn it into a sorta romance  
thing. Also put more background into the Wufei being... don't wanna  
ruin the end. But, I'm not sure if should. Please include if you review  
if I should continue or not. The majority out of ten shall be the  
vote.. Also, I don't own Gundam Wing (*SOB*), so, no one sue for my  
mother and father are both lawyers. Seriously. Anyway, enjoy reading!)**

Reflections May Lie

"Heeyyy! WUFEI!" shouted Duo, waving his hand in front of Wufei's face  
and looking at him curiously. "What the hell are you do - "

"KISAMA! If it wasn't that OBVIOUS, I am TRYING to meditate!' snapped  
Wufei, glaring at the braided boy.

Duo laughed nervously and stepped back. "Um, well, yeah. I didn't know,  
I'm not into that kinda crap,' he began, but was cut off once more by  
Wufei.

"CRAP!? Kisama! This is not 'crap', it's an ancient Chinese method,  
used in many other countries also!" Wufei shouted, standing up suddenly  
with fists clenched. 

"Eh, just don't beat me up," replied Duo nonchalantly, closing his eyes  
and beaming at Wufei. 

***

"Oww! JEEZE! Heero, be careful with that anti-whatever spray! It stings!"  
wailed Duo, as Heero stood over him bandage ready.

"Stop complaining. You're a fifteen year old man, not a boy," replied Heero,  
placing the bandage on the cut that he had on his cheek which Wufei had given  
him after lunging for his sword. Of course, he didn't beat Duo up that bad,  
they were allies. But he made sure that Duo wouldn't give him much lip anymore.

Duo whimpered, pouted, but said nothing in return to Heero. He only sighed, and  
frowned. "God, what stick does he have up his ass, huh? I mean, one little insult  
and the guy goes nuts on you! The man needs therapy and shit." grumbled Duo, rubbing  
his cheek as Heero stepped away. 

"It wasn't like you didn't deserve it, Wufei takes his meditation seriously," snorted  
Heero, walking to the refridgerator to get some orange juice. They were in the middle  
of a war here, but Heero always had time for orange juice. Sipping it lightly, Heero  
continued, "Duo, can't you use your common sense once in a while? If Wufei was  
sitting still, with his eyes closed, it was clear he didn't want company."

Duo sighed, and pulled at hair at the end of his braid. "I know... I just wanted to  
talk to him. Why is he always so alone? Why won't he work with us, tell us what's   
on his mind? Wait, why am I telling YOU this?"

Heero shrugged in response. 

"I'm going to go talk to Quatre. He actually has advice!' muttered Duo as he left the  
room and headed over to Quatre's. 

***

"...Anyway, Quatre, do you think he's homesick for China? Maybe we could throw him a party!"  
Duo suggested, after telling him his Wufei woes. That was the usual situation Duo suggested  
for everything; someone upset, throw a party; someone worried, throw a party; Quatre sometimes  
worried that if armageddon arrived, Duo would suggest a party.

Quatre laughed, and shook his head. "Duo, we can't. We hardly have time to eat, there is just no  
way we could organize a party or throw one. You know we always have to be on the alert, although  
a party would be nice," sighed Quatre, as he gave Duo a weak-hearted smile. "There'll be time  
for that after the war,' the blonde continued, pouring himself some tea from a kettle he'd been  
boiling.

"Yeah, but, we don't know when this war is gonna end! We never have any fuckin' time for  
ourselves!' complained Duo, crossing his arms across his chest. 

"Duo, watch your language. I know this war is hard, but it's a responsibility we have to accept,  
okay? Why don't you go take a bath now, the tub is open," offered Quatre, smiling softly at the  
braided pilot. 

Sighing, Duo nodded and headed his way over to the bathroom. Quatre in baths! If someone was  
upset, he'd tell them to go have a bath; it someone was worried, he'd tell them to go have a   
bath; Duo sometimes worried that if God came down for the Judging, Quatre would suggest a bath.

***

Duo ran a hand through his hair as he finished undressing a put on a bathrobe. He was the only  
one with one, as he had stolen it from a hotel a little while ago. He opened the door slowly,  
knocked once just in case anybody was in, and then stepped in himself. He heard a splash from  
the tub. 

"Uh, uh, I'll be right out!" cried Wufei, as he jumped out of the tub, unaware that Duo had   
entered. 

Duo was shocked by what he saw. "Wu-wufei..." he gasped, his violet eyes wide.

Wufei had _breasts_. 

Duo ran out as fast as he could, deciding that it was all his imagination. Maybe he'd had too  
many parties recently.

***

Duo sat in his bed, the light breathing of Trowa beside him. What was it that he had seen?  
Wufei couldn't have a bust, it couldn't be. He was a guy. He showed masculine behavior. He was  
aggressive, no damn way he was a she. It was impossible! Maybe he was just really fat... or   
something...

Duo still had his doubts. 

***

"H-hey Wufei!" called Duo, running over to greet the Chinese pilot. Wufei said nothing in return,  
just continued to read the newspaper. It had been two weeks since Duo had supposedly 'seen'   
Wufei's breasts, but he had long sinced convinced himself his mind was playing tricks. They had  
gone to battle last week, that usually meant they had a bit of rest while the troops of Oz   
recuperated, along with them. 

"Hey, Wufei!" Duo repeated, this time a little louder. Wufei gave him a sideways glance, as if  
to acknowledge that he was listening, then returned to his paper. "Listen, I know you're homesick,  
" began Duo, but a harsh glance from Wufei shut him up. 

"Be quiet," Wufei replied coldly, before returning his eyes to his Chinese paper. 

"No, I wanna help!" pleaded a eager Duo, tugging twice on Wufei's arm. 

"I'm fine," was the simple reply. Wufei turned a page in his paper. He was about to continue his  
reading when Duo snatched it, and squinted. 

"How the hell do you read this stuff!?" he questioned, a puzzled look on his face. 

Wufei snatched it back. "Go away!" he shooed, glaring at the smaller pilot. 

"Oh, come on, lemme do something!" whimpered Duo, attempting to pout in a kawaii manner. It  
failed. 

"You could let me beat you with a stick," muttered Wufei to himself, turning another page. 

"If that's what'll make you _smile_!" was the cheerful response. 

Wufei banged his head on the table.

***

Quatre had left to pick up groceries. That left the boys to cook for themselves, a dangerous   
thing. 

"I can make hamburgers!" offered the American pilot, to be turned down by all the rest. Not  
because hamburgers were necessarily a bad thing, but Duo's cooking skills left something to be  
desired. The ability to be edible, for instance.

"I'm kosher," replied Heero with a shake of his head, an attempt at a joke. 

Duo leaned over and whispered to Wufei, "Aren't burgers made outta cows?" Wufei rolled his eyes   
in response. 

"I'll make some salad," Wufei suggested instead, looking longingly at the knives. 

"Eh heh... alright..." blinked Duo, who then brightened up. "I'll help!' he offered, and skipped  
up to join Wufei at the cutting board. 

The others shrugged. As long as it could be eaten. "Make it Caesar," requested Trowa as he left  
to discuss plans of action with Heero. 

"Duo, watch where you put your elbow!" bellowed Wufei.

"Eh heh, sorry!' Duo smiled merrily. He accidently elbowed Wufei once more, hard, in the center  
of his chest. Wufei rolled his eyes; it seemed to be recurring frequently. However, the bump was   
enough to send the knife sprawling over to Wufei's side of the cutting board, nicking his shirt   
slightly, making a small cut in the fabric blue, thin fabric. 

"Oh! JEEZE! Wufei, I'm so sorry! L-lemme see!" stammered Duo, rushing up. 

"No, no! KISAMA! I'm alright, just back off!" snapped Wufei, but was unable to keep the smaller,  
more nimble hands from pulling his shirt off. 

Duo let out a soft gasp. "Oh. My. Lord." he gasped, taking a step away from Wufei. Wufei's eyes  
watered as he tugged his shirt towards him to cover his chest. 

"D-Duo... it's... it's not what you think," he stammered, his voice oddly feminine now; lighter,  
uncanny, with less of the harsh growl within it. Wufei had a cloth wrapped around his chest,   
making him seem flat, while he must've actually had breasts. 

"Oh, my....my ....God ....Wufei...." whispered Duo, taking another step back. "You're ....you're   
a she... aren't you?" Duo stuttered, looking Wufei up and down. "I need to go," he murmured,   
then turned around and was about to run when Wufei grabbed him roughly.

"Duo... Duo... please don't tell. Please don't tell. My, my martial arts training will be cut off,  
I have so much to learn from my master, I might not be allowed to be a pilot anymore. Please, please..."  
Wufei pleaded, her dark eyes gazing into Duo's purple orbs. 

"I - I won't. Just, keep yourself away, alright?" Duo replied, scared more of the chinese pilot   
begging than anything else, and shrugged Wufei's hand off his shoulder. A now feminine looking   
hand, to his mind's eye. Shaking his head, Duo walked away, his braid trailing behind him.

END


	2. Chapter Two

Reflections May Lie _((I don't own Gundam Wing, or any of its characters *sob, wants to own Duo and Wufei and Heero* so you no sue, okie day? =D, thank you!))_   
____________

3:00 AM. 

Those hours blinked on Duo's clock like a curse. He went to bed at nine, and still could not rest his troubled mind. Sighing as he rolled over to face Trowa, he ran a hand through a bit of his chestnut hair. 'Dammit,' he whispered, so as not to wake Trowa. He was so troubled. Him! The 'stoner' American pilot. How could _ he _ be worried? For gods sake, he was friggin' Duo Maxwell! But the shock of Wufei being a woman...it felt like he had been betrayed. Rubbing his eyes and yawning softly, cracking his jaw accidently while doing so, Duo pondered. What if he told? Would Wufei kill him? Probably. But still, if it meant some sleep....he'd consider it.   
____________

'Quatre?' whispered Duo, knocking on the door. He had long since learned to knock. 

Quatre put his violin down, startled by the knock. 'Duo, is that you? Come in!' Quatre called, smiling as the braided boy waltzed in. 

'Listen, I really need to get this off my chest,' started Duo, looking Quatre deeply in the eyes. 

Quatre's cheerful smile turned into a concerned frown, wrinkles appearing in his forehead. If Duo wasn't happy, something was definetly wrong. 'What is it, Duo?' inquired Quatre, his tone level and comforting. 

'It's...it's about Wufei.'   
____________

Wufei sipped her tea and allowed her gaze to skim the newspaper, occasionally staying on an article that interested her. She snorted as she read word of the Gundams. Stupid colony newspaper, she thought to herself, ripping the page in half and continuing to the other sections. Quatre then entered, with a slight wave to Wufei. 

'Wufei, umm, can I talk to you?' Quatre murmurred, his voice eerily quiet. 

Wufei's interest was aroused. 'What for?' she questioned, sipping her green tea. She had sweetened it with honey, as she often saw Quatre did. It tasted a little to sweet for her liking, but she enjoyed it none-the-less. 

Quatre took a deep breath, and blurted, 'Duo told me, I know it all.' he admitted, pushing some bangs out of his eyes. 

Wufei's tea tasted bitter in her mouth. She had to move quickly to catch the cup from falling to her hands. The bastard! He had told! That stupid, unloyal son of a bitch! her mind raced, hurt mingling with the sheer anger inside her. Through clenched teeth, she played innocent, 'Told you what, Winner?' 

'Don't play blind Wufei, we need to talk.' insisted Quatre, putting his hand on Wufei's and squeezing it tightly. 'Come on, Duo's and Trowa's bunk isn't being used now, we can talk there,' he suggested, smiling a forced smile at the young Chinese woman. 

Wufei snarled and threw Quatre's hand off hers. 'I don't want to talk about it!' she shouted, pushing away from the table with a screech from the chair. 

Quatre grabbed her hand. 'We _ need _ to talk, Wufei!' urged Quatre, his blue eyes piercing Wufei's dark ones. She turned her face away, and with narrowed eyes, she nodded. Quatre led a hesitant but seething Wufei to the abandoned bunk and motioned to the bed. 'Have a seat,' he suggested, taking one in a small rickety chair near the bed. Wufei stood.   
'You realize you can get in huge trouble for this, Wufei? If the doctors found out... you'd be in pretty deep. We were all suppoused to be boys. No girl could've survived the training,' sighed Quatre deeply, fidgeting with his vest. 

'I survived it,' sneered Wufei, crossing her arms across her chest. Wufei then closed her eyes, and opened the door. A bewildered Duo tumbled in, his balance lost. 'I hate you.' muttered Wufei as he picked himself up from the floor. 

'I had to tell...it was just weighing on me,' protested Duo, brushing himself off. 

Wufei lunged at Duo with the grace but wildness of a tiger. She was only able to get one punch however, as Quatre dragged her off quickly. 'Kisama! KISAMA!' she screamed at him, struggling against Quatre. 

Quatre was having a difficult time controlling Wufei, as she was stronger then then frail pilot. 'Wufei! WUFEI! Calm down! Wufei, calm down!' he repeated over and over until the Chinese pilot relaxed. Throwing a dirty glare at Duo, she stood tight-lipped and angry. 

'Listen...I want to know why, Wufei. I mean, its not exactly normal for some chick to go cross-dressing.' requested Duo, rubbing his swollen cheek. 

'Its none of your buisness, you disgusting example of a man!' yelled Wufei, and was about to lunge once more when Duo threw a comeback in her direction. 

'Hey, bitch! At least I AM a man!' he cried, looking satisfied with his reply. 

'Guys! No name calling, please!' interrupted Quatre, standing between the two. 

Wufei returned to her tight-lipped stance, but cracked her knuckles as warning to the American pilot. 

'I have to agree with Duo. Why did you do it? If you can tell us, that is...' questioned Quatre, giving Duo a glare as he flicked Wufei off. 

Wufei puckered her lips in distaste and anger. 'It is correct for me to assume that I will not leave until I tell you?' 

They both nodded, Duo rubbing his cheek and looking about ready to kill Wufei. Why was he always the one who got the living crap knocked outta him? 

Wufei sat down on the bed, cross-legged. She closed her eyes, as if in rememberance and pain. 'My name is Tao. Chang Tao. The younger twin sister to Chang Wufei, my brother who was a minute and a half older then me. Wufei was to be trained in the arts of self defense, swordsmanship, and all the other qualities a man of the clan gets. I, a mere weak girl was to remain quiet and marry and get fat.' Wufei paused to make a face at the thought.   
'Wufei died of disease at age three. There was really no difference between us two. We both had the slender bodies that our parents had, our dark hair and eyes, pale skin. And by Long clan rules, every single family had to have at least one son in the family, otherwise the other children would be drowned, the parents killed, or the whole family removed from the clan. My parents not wanting to suffer these terrible fates, turned me into their son Wufei, instead of their daughter Tao.   
'I did all the things a boy was supposed to do. I learned the ways of a Chinese broadsword. I learned martial arts. I became a pilot. No one ever wondered what happened to the child Tao, although my parents had invented the story that I had drowned. I was after all, a lowly girl. Slowly, my view changed from that of an actor playing the role of my brother, to that of Wufei. I became him entirely. I referred to myself as Wufei, instead of Tao in front of my family, I even became engaged to my late wife, Nataku as she would like to be called-' 

Duo quirked a brow at Wufei. 'Your a dyke? That'll explain why you are such a bit-' Duo shut up as Quatre elbowed him in the ribs. 

Wufei ignored the outburst. 'Nataku was killed, and around that time I had become a pilot in my brothers place. I considered telling my professor who I really was. That I was a girl, not the boy he was expecting. But, I was so convinced that I was Wufei, I just didn't have the heart too. I was Wufei in every way, at least on the outside. And thats why. I suppose you weaklings are going to tell everyone now.' she sneered, finishing her tale. 

Quatre jumped up to his defense. 'No, I won't! Your an important part of our team, Tao!' 

'Wufei. You will adress me as Wufei, Winner boy.' Wufei replied coldly, her face bearing no emotion, but her eyes flaming in rage. 

'Wufei, I apologize. But call me Quatre, then. Listen, Wufei, you need to tell the others. You can't go on lying like this, its bad...' lectured Quatre, and was about to continue when Wufei stood up angrily. 

'No! I AM Wufei! You can't change that. This is a matter of my family's honor, and you dare interfere!? You disgust me, weakling.' sneered Wufei, glaring at Quatre. 

'Chill out, you pompous bitch,' muttered Duo, placing a hand on the hurt Quatre's shoulder. 

'Obnoxious.' 

'Overly-agressive.' 

'Obscene.' 

'Cruel.' 

'BASTARD!' 

'Bitch!' shouted Duo, ducking one of Wufei's infamous punches. 

'Could we please calm down!' insisted Quatre, but the two were at each others throats. Quatre couldn't take much more. 'WILL YOU TWO SHUT UP AND STOP ACTING LIKE A BUNCH OF TWO YEAR OLDS!?' he screeched, his fists clenched tightly at his sides. 

Duo and Wufei both jumped off each other in unison. 

'Bitch.' 

'Girly man.' 

'Hey, at least I ** AM ** one!' 

Quatre had to wrestle Wufei back onto the bed to stop her from strangling the cackling American.   
____________

Duo groaned as he sat on the window sill, sore all over from the beating he had recieved from Wufei. Touching a forming black and blue mark on his cheek, he sucked in a breath in pain. But along with that was something that didn't belong there, along with that pain. Duo touched it again, seeing if he could catch the feeling. What it was was a electric chill, fleeting and pleasurable. It made Duo shudder. 'What the hell?' he wondered, but sighed. 'Damn that girl,' he whispered, tracing long fingers down the chilly window. An image of Wufei popped up in his mind, defiant as always, her cat-like strength showing as she crouched, as if ready to pounce. Duo shut his eyes to block the vision. It left him luckily. 

'Dude, I must be totally wasted.' he muttered, pushing off the window sill with another grunt of pain, and making his way out of the living room. 'Too many parties.' he smirked, remembering his previous comment.   
____________

Wufei let loose her dark hair, running a hand through it. Sighing, she massaged her scalp, and rubbed her shoulders. Popping her neck once, she relaxed her body. But not her mind. She had so many thoughts going through her head, things she couldn't say. She had actually felt hurt when Duo called her names. She had never   
ever felt hurt, except for the periods of time where she was too weak to fight. What was wrong with her? Was she becoming the weak woman she was suppoused to be? The very thought was disturbing. 'Wufei, snap out of it, kisama. You are strong. No one could hurt you. You are more honorable then that!' she assured herself, changed into her night shirt and crawled into her cot. She was the only one without a sleeping partner. However, that night, she slept wishing for company for the first time.   
____________

Duo woke up groggily, and blinked his eyes wearily at his clock. 7:00 AM. Hah. Yeah, right. His clock must've stopped. He had never woken up before at least 10:00, unless someone had thrown cold water over him. Rubbing his eyes, he sat up stretching. Trowa wasn't there. In his stead was a cute little stuffed lion toy, which Catherine had given to him a while ago. Duo pushed himself out of bed, his feet finding his slippers to protect his feet from the cold floor. Wobbling into the kitchen, because Duo was almost always hungry, he was shocked to see his fellow pilots, all except Wufei, eating greasy pancakes with milk. Except Heero, who was having orange juice. 

'Wow...it's a record. His first breakfast.' joked Quatre, pulling out a chair for Duo and getting up to get him some pancakes. 

'Ugh, quiet,' grumbled Duo, sitting down as Quatre placed a steaming stack of pancakes in front of him. Duo wasted no time after layering on the syrup, he dug in. Between mouthfuls, he added to the small conversation. Finally, he finished, belched his contentment (making Quatre and Trowa cringe), and patted his belly. 'Oi, where's Wufei?' he wondered, arching his eyebrows in question. 

'Wufei? He went to the living room to do something.' shrugged Heero, standing up. 'I'm going to be at the hangar.' he excused himself, and left. 

The other two gave their excuses and left also, leaving behind a lonely Duo. Sighing, he stood up, his chair scraping noisily against the floor. 'I might as well go piss Wufei off. Its so much fun.' he sighed, marching into the living room. 

Wufei had her eyes closed, sweat dripping slowly down her face. A towel was thrown over one of the few chairs of the living room. That was the good thing about the living room. It was a huge room with pratically no furniture, perfect for things that needed a lot of room. As Duo entered, Wufei eyes snapped open and she pivoted on a foot, her fist a hairs length away from the tip of Duo's nose. 

Duo gulped. 'Mornin' to you too, sunshine.'. 

'What do you want?' hissed Wufei, pulling back her fist. Wiping some sweat off her forehead, she gave Duo one of best glares. 

Duo flopped down onto one of the run-down couches, sitting on it so that his feet were where his head should be and his head touching the floor. 'To stay for tea and crumpets, Wufei. What else?' 

Wufei rolled her eyes and stood up. 'Leave, kisama.' 

Duo eyebrows raised in curiosity. 'What, don'tcha wan't company?   
'Not yours.' Wufei lied. She would've killed to have him stay. She felt much more cheerful when the idiot was around her. 

Duo's eyes narrowed as he rolled over onto his stomach and dragged himself off the couch. 'Listen, I'm sick of your ÔI'm so superior Ôcause I'm a friggin' cross dresser' attitude!' shouted Duo, poking Wufei in the chest. 

Wufei calmly grabbed Duo's arm, and twisted it behind him, throwing him to the ground. 'Leave, before I am forced to kick you out.' demanded Wufei calmly, although she was obviously smug with herself. 

Duo got up slowly, the wind knocked out of him. Panting, Duo glared at Wufei straight in the eyes. 'This ain't over yet, you fuckin' wanna be guy. Wonder what would happen if the Doc's found out Ôbout your Ôsecret'?' Duo then grinned cruelly, as Wufei turned pale. 

Wufei took a step towards Duo, and grabbed his shirt, tugging him upwards so that they were face to face. Wufei's color was back. 'If you dare. DARE. I will chop off your...head... and stamp on it personally with Nataku. Understood?' Wufei warned, and was about to drop him when Duo swung a leg at her, knocking her in the shins and catching her off guard. Wufei tumbled backwards, Duo falling with her. They both landed with a thud, Wufei letting out a grunt as her back smacked the cold floor. 

'Well, this is a comprimising position,' smirked Duo, as he began to roll off Wufei. 

Wufei's knee went up to meet Duo's crotch as he rolled off, and she bounced up. 'You pervert,' she muttered, grabbing her towel and dabbing her forehead. 

Duo moaned in response.   
____________

Wufei gulped down the glass of water she had just poured for herself, and threw her towel over the kitchen counter. Wufei then got a good look at what the towel actually was. She picked it up off the counter, wondering if she had chosen it on purpouse in her sub-conscinous. 'Bah,' she muttered, throwing it to the floor and stomping away.   
____________

Moments later, a confused Quatre picked off the kitchen floor Duo's bathrobe, wondering how in the world it got there.   
____________

Duo slumped in the bath, relaxing in the warm steamy air and the hot water. It was about two hours after lunch, and Duo was feeling sick. The American grabbed a clump of hair and surveyed it. 'Do I needa wash it today?' he wondered, feeling too tired and lazy to do it. 'Eh, next week,' he muttered, leaning back. Duo's strong point wasn't exactly hygeine. As Duo slumped further into the water, so that only the tip of his nose wasn't submereged, Duo yawned, getting a mouthful of water accidently. Musn't fall asleep in the bath, thats dangerous, he reminded himself, rubbing his neck. Duo's eyes slowly slid shut, however, ignoring his own advice.   
____________

Duo knocked once on the bathroom door, more cautious. He didn't want to suddenly find out Heero was a girl. Hearing no response, Duo walked in and began undressing, unbuttoning his shirt and rubbing his neck where his priest collar was. That thing was itchy. Duo was about to finish undressing when he heard a splash from the tub, and Wufei's wet face poked out behind the curtain. 

'Kisama! What do you think your doing, again!?' she screeched angrily, her damp black hair clinging to her face in random places. Duo had never really realized how long Wufei's hair was, but he realized now that it went a little bit past her shoulders. She looked pretty with it down, especially when she was angry. 

Duo stretched, and pulled himself onto a sitting position on the bathroom counter, swinging his legs. 'I'm sitting down,' he replied nonchalantly, grinning. 

'If you want the tub, leave so I can grab a towel.' was the cold reply. Wufei obviously was not happy. 

'I don't wanna leave,' replied Duo, giving Wufei a childish look. He really was a kid at heart, despite the fact he had grown up so much to be worthy of his Deathscythe. That was one thing the Doctor's couldn't give or take away from him. His need to be a kid again. 

'Leave, you pervert!' screamed Wufei, her cheeks turning bright red. Blushing? Wufei? No, it was probably anger doing that, concluded Duo, as he studied Wufei's face. She had a thin face, her eyes catlike yet her nose a bit beakish. She was so oddly pretty, like her features didn't belong on such an agressive, mean person. But at the same time, they suited her well. 

'Did you hear me, or are you that thick-headed!?' growled Wufei, getting grumpier. Duo continued to stare, analyzing Wufei. What was it about her that had him so facisinated...? 

'Duo! Duo!' repeated a voice, at first sounding like Wufei's but then melding slowly into Quatre's. Duo opened his eyes slowly, to stare into the worried blue eyes of Quatre. 'Eep,' he muttered, sitting up. He wasn't embarassed that Quatre had seen him naked, when all five of them had to share a room once they had all gotten their share. Except for Wufei, who somehow always changed without being noticed. Duo didn't exactly wonder why she did that, anymore. 

'You fell asleep in the bath, Duo! You could've drowned!' lectured Quatre, but Duo's mind was elsewhere. 

All that, a dream? It had seemed so real, how Wufei looked. Why was he dreaming of Wufei, anyway? Why had he been so facisnated in his dream? The details were slowly slipping away, it was like trying to hold water in a spoon with holes in it. It trickled away slowly, leaving Duo only the barest of images. 

'DUO!' shouted Quatre, getting angry. Concern wrinkled his face. 

'Huh, wha?? Oh, yeah, I won't do it again.' blurted Duo, grabbing the towel Quatre had tossed at his head and standing up to dry himself off with it. Duo wrapped the towel around his waist, and hopped out of the shower, shaking out his long mane of brown hair. It was tangled. He would have to brush it. Duo sighed, and scratched his scalp. He hated brushing his hair. It was just so damn long. He should cut it. 

'Anyway, it's dinner. Join us, if you want,' informed Quatre, exiting with a slight wave. 

Duo's stomach growled in response to Quatre's offer.   
____________

Duo finished the last of his spaghetti, graciously made by Trowa, with a slurp. He chuckled, amused by his own poor manners. Once more, Trowa and Quatre exchanged looks of distaste, but said nothing. 

'Oi, guys, do you think I'm crazy?' asked Duo, remaining calm as he sipped his flat soda. 

Two pairs of eyes directed themselves towards Duo, Wufei's and Quatre's. 

'Yes.' replied Wufei, before returning to her rice. 

'Of course not!' comforted Quatre, patting Duo on the back. 

'I think we all are,' 

'Watch your mouth, Maxwell. I know very well what I'm doing,' grunted Heero, not lifting his eyes from his food. 

'I second that decision. If Duo learned to keep his mouth shut, this kitchen would be a better place.' jeered Wufei, as she poked her chopsticks into her mouth. Wufei refused to eat anything but fried rice. With chopsticks. Duo had tried to use chopsticks once, and ended up poking Trowa in his only visible eye with them somehow. 

Duo sighed and sank in his chair. 'Is it just me, or is everyone against me?' he moaned, pressing his palms to his temples. 

'You mean us? Or the Colonies?' Trowa asked seriously, giving Duo a steady green gaze. 

Duo sighed in response. 

'Duo, is something wrong? You seem depressed,' worried Quatre. 

'Thanks mom, but I'm fine.' teased Duo, patting Quatre's shaggy blonde hair. 

Wufei sipped her green tea and without raising her eyes spoke, 'I still think he's wrong in the head.'   
____________

Duo still couldn't sleep. He had tossed and turned for hours on hours on end. He knew what he wanted. He just couldn't have it, for fear of being put into critical condition. He wanted Wufei in Trowa's place in his bed, that was what he wanted. He wanted to be able to hold her, to see her softer side. To meet the Wufei that was under that hard, thick shell. He knew that somehow, somewhere, that Wufei did exist. Inside was a lost little Wufei, confused about her feelings and taking it out on others. Right? Duo was good at analyzing peoples personalities, how could he be wrong? Duo sighed and rolled over to look at his clock. 4:30 AM. He should've been asleep long ago. 

Waitta sec, Wufei's light was on. Why was her light on? Could she not sleep, also? Duo slid out of bed quietly, his feet making slight _ tap tap _ sounds as he crossed the floor. Duo peered out of the crack of the door, which was slightly ajar as Duo needed a little hall light to sleep. And was shocked by what he heard. Ever so faintly. Wufei...she was crying? No way, that wasn't possible. Duo focused his hearing, trying to enhance magically. Although it didn't work, Duo was sure of it. Wufei was crying! Duo, ever ignorant, decided to find out what about. 

He knocked twice before letting himself in. Wufei was desperatley trying to resume her face to its normal cold, cruel look. And then, something happened to Wufei. 

At exactly 4:32 AM, Wufei's shell cracked as she wrapped her arms around Duo's neck and sobbed into his pajama shirt.   
____________

Duo head spun. It was like a dream. Why was Wufei behaving so strangely? Strong, arrogant, graceful Wufei. Why was she crying? And on his shoulder, no less. Something was most certainly wrong. Duo gently tilted her chin upwards, and said in his most gentle and comforting voice, 'Whats wrong?'. 

Wufei took in a few shaky breaths before sitting down in her bed and covering her face in her hands. 'Everything, everything,' she wailed, her shoulders heaving by the force of her sobs. 

Duo, while pleasently shocked, hated to see Wufei like this. He sat down next to her and rubbed her back softly and whispered comfortingly into her ear things such as 'Shhh,' and the like, as Sister Helen had often done with him when Duo cried. Tears formed in the corner of Duo's eyes at the thought of sweet Sister Helen, so Duo cut off that train of thought quickly. 'Wufei...please tell me what's wrong.' demanded Duo in a soft, but firm tone of voice. Wufei had recovered herself for the most part, although her breath was still shaky and she was hiccuping every so often. 

'I-I don't know,' she stuttered, her face bleak with puzzlement. 'I just started crying, I couldn't control it. It just happened...you can leave now, I'm fine.' grunted Wufei, her shell obviously glued back together and replaced. 

Duo then did something totally unexpected as if to equal himself with Wufei. He bent over slightly, as Wufei had hunched herself over, raised her face, and kissed her tenderly and fondly.   
____________

Wufei's eyes widened, and she shoved Duo away with a violent push. What was she doing? Why was she pushing him away? After all, the kiss that they had shared, that few seconds of romance, had been positivley magical. Something she didn't want to stop. It was heaven on Earth. Why was she doing this? Why couldn't she just let him hold her? 

'Leave, just leave.' 

Duo blinked in shock. 'I'm sorry, what?' he asked, confused. 

Wufei turned her face away. 'I want- I need to be alone. Go.' she ordered softly, wondering why she was doing this. 

Duo looked stung. He was not used to be hurt or rejected after having kissed someone. 'Fine, Wufei. I'm gonna go.' Duo replied stiffly, and mentally added, And I ain't comin' back. So Duo up and went from the room, to leave Wufei pounding on the wall in frusteration and self-hatred. 

'Dammit!' she sobbed, hit the wall once more, and crumpled into a heap of melted feeling and hate.   
____________

Epilogue: 

A young woman stepped into the office, her dark eyes glittering with secrets untold. She walked up to the secretaries desk, a defiant look upon her face, although there were traces of fear if one looked closely. The secretary was absorbed in a cheap romance novel, featuring a bare chested man and a scarcely clad woman clinging to him. The stranger cleared her throat politely. After recieving no response from the secretary, she repeated the action. Being ignored once more, the young woman snatched the book from the secretary's hands. "Is Mr. Maxwell in?" she asked calmly, holding the book just out of the secretary's reach. 

The unhappy secretary sighed, twirled her hair, and pointed down the hall. "You'll find his office that-a-way, second door to the left." she grumbled, taking the book back with a glare. 

"Thank you." smirked the woman, departing in the direction shown. Upon arriving at her destination, she knocked softly. A cheerful voice called: "Come in!". Nervously, the newcomer opened the door. 

"May I help you?" inquired Duo, looking up from his stack of papers. His hair was still braided, not a surprise. It had only been 3 years since Mariemaya. Duo had obviously skipped college. He was wearing a loose white shirt, tucked into a pair of blue slacks held up with a black belt. The young woman almost cringed. He looked so different, not nearly as rebellious as before. 

Duo looked at the stranger with puzzlement. "Ma'am? May I help you?" he repeated, putting his pen down. 

His visitor snapped out of her trance. "Oh! Yes! Um, well, um, I have a message from a friend named Tao," 

"I know no one by that name." Duo replied coldly, his eyes back on his paper, scribbling madly away at it. 

The woman took a shaky breath. She pulled her shoulder length hair into a ponytail, and wiped off her lip gloss. "You prefer it this way?" 

"Leave Wufei." 

"Duo, I regret ever making you leave that day," Wufei began, but was cut off by a eerily calm Duo. 

"I don't need this Wufei. Leave." 

Wufei crossed the floor left between her and Duo's desk, grasped him by the collar of his shirt, and picked him up out of his chair. "You. Will. Listen. To. Me." she hissed, and then dropped Duo back down. Duo clasped his hands to his armrests as a precaution, and narrowed his eyes at Wufei. "You got 2 minutes." he muttered, and stood up to walk to his window. 

"Duo, I'm sorry. I didn't want to push you away, honestly. I just wanted you to know...that it was me, and it wasn't you. I love-" 

Duo held up a hand to silence Wufei. "Before you say that, you gotta understand. I don't have the same feelings for you anymore." Duo then turned around, and wished he never did. They pleading, dejected look on Wufei's face made him feel so incredibly guilty. 

"I see," Wufei replied softly, pulling her ponytail out, and shaking her head to loosen her hair. "I'll just go, then." she whispered, and turned around to leave. 

Duo watched her go, and slowly slid a hand down the window. As she appeared outside of the building, her face was buried in her hands as she hurried to her car. Its the best thing, he thought to himself, sitting down. "What the fuck am I doing!?" he cried out, jumping up from his chair. Sprinting down the hall, he ran into the parking lot just as Wufei was pulling out. "WUFEI!" he screamed, waving his arms about madly and running after her car. "DAMMIT WUFEI, I AM NOT BUILT FOR THIS! STOP THE EFFIN' CAR!" he screeched, and stopped to catch his breath as Wufei braked her car. 

As Duo neared her car, Wufei had rolled her window down. She looked exactly like she did that day when Duo had discovered her crying, which only made him feel worse. "Yes?" inquired Wufei, her tone suggesting that nothing had carried on only moments before. 

Duo reached in through the car window and pulled Wufei's face close to his. "I could be wrong about my feelings, Wufei," he muttered before giving her a gentle kiss. 

Wufei smiled as her eyes watered with happy tears. Only a girl would cry in a sitaution like this. "Tao. Call me Tao."   
____________

_((End! It was originally longer, till my mom deleted it and I had to write it over. Also, that dyke comment Duo makes in noooo way expresses my opinion. I have no problem with lesbians or gays, I have a cousin who is gay. Also, I understand the wording wasn't exactly the nicest, however, you have to understand Duo's subtext. He's an American kid raised in a poor area. What do you expect?))_


End file.
